Arthur France
{{Short description|Community organizer}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2024}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Arthur France
| honorific_suffix = MBE
| image = Arthur France at Reinstallation of David Oluwale Blue Plaque (cropped).jpg
| caption =
| birth_name =
| birth_date = {{birth year and age|1935|9}}
| birth_place = Mt Lily, Nevis, British Leeward Islands
| death_date =
| death_place =
| years_active =
| spouse =
| children =
| occupation = Founder, Leeds West Indian Carnival
| awards = Member of the Order of the British Empire
Hon LLD, University of Leeds
Hon D Arts, Leeds Beckett University
}}
Thomas Arthur Benjamin France {{post-nominals|country=GBR|MBE}} (born September 1935) is a British community organiser who founded the first West Indian carnival in Europe, in Leeds in 1967.{{Cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-leeds-64454905|title=Harewood House: First Afro-Caribbean portrait for stately home|work=BBC News |date=31 January 2023}}
Early life
France was born in Mount Lily village, Nevis, in September 1935.{{Cite web|url=https://www.barca-leeds.org/news/arthurfrancebhm|title=Barca-Leeds & Black History Month 2021 - Arthur France | Barca-Leeds|website=www.barca-leeds.org}} He is the son of Ebenezer France, and a nephew of Saint Kitts and Nevis politician and later national hero, Joseph Nathaniel France.{{Cite web |title=Saint Kitts and Nevis Diaspora Digest - Vol 1 Issue 2 |url=https://diaspora.gov.kn/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Diaspora-Digest-Issue-02.pdf |website=diaspora.gov.kn}} France grew up on Nevis, and in 1957 moved to Leeds in England.
Career and carnival
After arriving in Leeds, France worked as a porter with British Railways from 1957 to 1960. He later worked for the Simpson and Cook building company, Leeds, and began to study at Leeds College of Technology. In 1964, he co-founded the United Caribbean Association.{{Cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/leeds/content/articles/2005/08/03/get_togethers_carnival_2005_feature.shtml|title=BBC - Leeds - Features - It's carnival time|website=www.bbc.co.uk}} In August 1967, France established the Leeds West Indian Carnival; this was the first West Indian carnival in Europe.{{Cite web|url=https://lucas.leeds.ac.uk/article/the-leeds-west-indian-carnival-is-fifty/|title=The Leeds West Indian Carnival is Fifty: Marking its African, Asian and European Heritage | Centre for African Studies (LUCAS)|website=lucas.leeds.ac.uk}}{{Cite web|url=https://issuu.com/askand2022/docs/20221028-askand_sentinel_vol2_003_final-web_|title=ASKaND Sentinel November 2022 - Vol 2 #003 by Association of St Kitts & Nevis Descendants - Issuu|date=4 November 2022|website=issuu.com}} France continued to run the carnival committee for many years, and in 2017 the carnival marked its fiftieth anniversary. It remains the largest carnival outside London.{{Cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cwy7vnw24yyo|title=Leeds West Indian Carnival 'brings people together in harmony'|date=26 August 2024|website=BBC News}}
Recognition
France has been widely recognized for his contributions to society and culture, both in the UK and in Nevis. He was awarded an MBE in June 1997 for 'services to the Afro-Caribbean community in Leeds'.{{Cite web|url=https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/54794/supplement/26|title=Page 26 | Supplement 54794, 13 June 1997 | London Gazette | The Gazette|website=www.thegazette.co.uk}} He was awarded an honorary doctor of laws degree from the University of Leeds in 2015,{{Cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-leeds-33564778|title=Honorary degree for Leeds West Indian Carnival chief|work=BBC News |date=17 July 2015}} and an honorary doctor of arts degree from Leeds Beckett University in 2018.{{Cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-leeds-44845382|title=Leeds West Indian Carnival chief honoured by Leeds Beckett University|work=BBC News |date=16 July 2018}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.leedsbeckett.ac.uk/news/0718-arthur-france-awarded-an-honorary-degree-from-leeds-beckett-university/|title=Honour for Leeds West Indian Carnival founder | Leeds Beckett University}}
France's contributions were celebrated by the Nevis Island Administration in 2017, on the 50th anniversary of the Leeds Carnival.{{Cite web|url=https://www.thestkittsnevisobserver.com/dr-arthur-france-to-officiate-at-culturama-opening/|title=Dr. Arthur France to officiate at Culturama opening|date=26 July 2018|website=The St Kitts Nevis Observer}} His portrait was commissioned and displayed in Harewood House as part of Harewood's 'open history' series, in 2022. His was the first portrait in a series titled 'Missing Portraits', which featured people of African-Caribbean heritage with connections to Harewood.{{Cite web|url=https://harewood.org/whats-on/event/arthur-france-son-of-a-small-island/|title=Arthur France: Son of a Small Island – Harewood House|website=harewood.org}} France was honoured with a reception at the House of Commons in 2023.{{Cite web|url=https://www.foreign.gov.kn/2023/02/01/nevisian-arthur-france-honoured-at-the-house-of-commons/|title=Nevisian Arthur France Honoured at the House of Commons – Ministry of Foreign Affairs}}
In 2022, sociologist Max Farrar wrote an authorised biography of France, Speaking truth to power: The Life and Times of an African Caribbean British Man.{{cite book|last=Farrar|first=Max|year=2022|title=Speaking truth to power: The Life and Times of an African Caribbean British Man. The Authorised Biography of Arthur France, MBE|publisher=Hansib Publications|pages=296|isbn=9781912662678|url=https://www.hansibpublications.com/SPEAKING-TRUTH-TO-POWER}}